Lychee are one of few fruits that are utterly irresistible when in peak condition. In UK supermarkets, lychee are currently being sold from Mexico, and they are a wonderful treat. The flavour and succulence of the fruit is hard to beat, and there is never enough in the pack.
Lychee should be available in most larger stores of the main supermarkets: a variety called Mauritius.
The main problem with for consumers is one of expense: supermarkets sell lychee in 170 – 250g packs at anything from £7.00 to £17.00 per kg (see below). Some independent Asian supermarkets may sell lychee by the box, which would be better value (don’t worry about the volume, they are easily eaten).
Cheapest supermarkets: Morrisons (equivalent £7.06/kg) and Tesco (equivalent £8.00/kg)
There are two quality issues that mainly affect lychee: mouldy fruit and sour taste. The former is due to age or over-maturity, while the latter is caused by poor harvest control.
Prices on 18th June, 2018 (prices from .com websites)
- Asda – 200g for £2.00 (£10.00/kg)
- M&S – 200g for £2.85 (£14.25/kg)*
- Morrisons – 170g for £1.20 (£7.06/kg)
- Sainsbury’s – 200g for £2.00 (£10.00/kg)
- Tesco – 250g for £2.00 (£8.00/kg)
- Waitrose (Ocado) – 175g for £3.00 (£17.10/kg)
*prices from in-store